The Bridges of Grace

       One day you don’t know the person you are going to share your life with in the covenant of marriage. The next day, you do. Your whole life can change in a single wonderful afternoon.  Mine did.

       I spent the first two years of Seminary working with Junior High students at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. For my final year I went to serve at a smaller congregation, St. John’s in West L.A. where I could have a different range of experience. The first activity I went to at St, John’s was a swim party for the Junior Highs.

       One of the youth workers, a young woman named Carol Brant, had decided not to attend this particular party -- even though she knew that I was going to be there. But her mother insisted. "You never know," she told Carol. "He might be the one."

       I was the one. But for some strange reason, Carol was slow to recognize that very obvious fact. She failed to immediately grasp the awesome significance of our meeting.

       We don’t always recognize the big moments when they come. That is true for our lives today and it was also true for a group of men two thousand years ago. We read their story in John 1:35-51.

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       John gives us quite a buildup to these verses! In the first eighteen verses of his gospel we meet some tremendous themes -- from the creation of the cosmos to the total amazement of God Himself becoming a human being in Jesus Christ. Then the brooding, intense figure of John the Baptist steps on the stage and points us to Jesus.

       As our text opens, Jesus has already been baptized by John.  He has already gone through His temptation in the wilderness.  Now He is ready to begin His public ministry along with the people He calls to Himself. 

       The first four verses of our text for this morning read:

       "The next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said: 'behold, the Lamb of God.' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and spoke to them..."

       Now if you take John's chronology and put it together with the other Gospels, these will be the first recorded words of Jesus to His disciples. Listen to them. These are the first recorded words of the Lord to them: "What do you want?"

       After the buildup that's quite a letdown. From old religious movies like “The Greatest Story Ever Told" or "King of Kings" we've been led to expect something a bit more Hollywood -- like "I am the Messiah" or "I am the Son of God" -- complete with religious sounding music swelling in the background and special lighting. Instead the first words are a simple and rather unimpressive: "What do you want?"

       That sounds simple.  But the four simple words of Jesus’ question go right to the heart of human life.   Have you ever asked yourself, “What am I looking for?”  Why am I here?  What do I really want out of life?  The answer to the question will direct the way we live our lives and face our deaths. 

       One of the men who hears this question is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. The other is almost certainly John, the author of this Gospel. They reply with a polite question of their own: "Teacher, where are you staying?" Jesus answers: "come and see."

       John's life was formed by his love for Jesus. And here is where it all starts; in a very ordinary conversation -- a conversation that opens John and Andrew to a whole new reality.

       As we read the other Gospels we get the idea that the disciples start with superhuman faith -- that they see Jesus for the first time by the Sea of Galilee and at His words "Follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men" threw down their nets in a decisive act of obedience. But as we read John's gospel, we find that before the disciples respond to Jesus' call by the Sea of Galilee, they have already spent time with him in Judea. They had had the time and the opportunity to begin to come to a decision about this Jesus.

       The disciples begin their Christian walk by simple, very ordinary steps -- just like I suspect the great majority of us became or are becoming His disciples by similar ordinary steps. Jesus begins where they are and where we are and shepherds us as we grapple with the meaning of our faith.

       When prospective members meet with our Session, we spend some time sharing about our personal Christian experience. At times I have found that some of the people are reluctant to take part in this way. It's not that they don't believe or are too shy to speak but that they feel that they don't have anything dramatic to say -- something that would be a sure fire winner in a game of "top my testimony."

       But for every person who comes to Christ after being knocked down on a personal road to Damascus, there are another ten who come by a much quieter process. "What do you want?" "Where are you staying?" “Come and see."

       C. S. Lewis made a Christian commitment because God overwhelmed his intellect. He describes himself as being "dragged kicking and screaming into the Kingdom of God -- the most reluctant convert in all England." In my own life, I wrestled with the truth of Christ for years until God bypassed my mind completely and touched my heart. Then my mind fell into place.

       If we were to stop and share right now, I suspect that we would find that we took many different roads to faith. We should not assume that our story is the only story nor should we covet one another's stories. There are many ways of coming to know Jesus Christ but He is equally the Lord of us all. That is our unity.

       John stresses that it is about the tenth hour when he and Andrew meet Jesus. This is about four o'clock in the afternoon according to the Jewish way of figuring. They know they have business with Jesus that can't be dealt with in a few moments beside the road. They spend the rest of the day with Him.

       John doesn't tell us what they talked about but it's enough to send Andrew to his bother Simon with the announcement: "we have found the Messiah."

       Andrew brings Simon to Jesus. Jesus looks at him and says: "So you are Simon the Son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter -- the Greek word for rock.) Jesus names Simon with a new name-- "The Rock" -- "Rocky."

       This is something that Jesus does all through His encounters with His disciples. He gives them nicknames. We find something of the humor and warmth of our Lord in these encounters.  Peter, as we see again and again, was anything but rocklike when Jesus met him.

       There is a story that someone once came upon Michelangelo chipping away with his chisel at a huge, shapeless piece of rock. He asked the sculptor what he was doing. "I am releasing the angel in this marble," Michelangelo answered. "I need to take away everything that isn't part of the angel."

       That is what Jesus is going to do with Peter (and what he continues to do in you and in me). Where everyone else saw only undependable Simon, Jesus saw what Simon could become. Jesus gives Simon a new name, and Simon spends the rest of his life trying to live up to it.   One writer observes that “leadership is accepting people where they are and then taking them somewhere.”  That’s what we see in Jesus.

       There is also a nickname for Andrew. Andrew met Jesus first. He brought his brother to meet Jesus. Now, at this point, Andrew receives his nickname. Here it is: "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother." That's not much of a nickname but it's the only one he has.

       There are some people who go through life that way -- with a name tag with "Andrew" in little tiny letters and "Simon Peter's brother" in great big letters. I feel that way some time with my wife Carol teaching at Rainbow Children’s Center for so many years. My tag says "Dave" in little letters and "Miss Carol’s Husband" in great big letters. That is the way Andrew is going to live his life. He is never mentioned except in reference to his brother.  

       Jesus says: "You are Simon, Son of John. I've heard a lot about you from Andrew." That will be Andrew's role. He's the one who brings the Greeks to Jesus. He is the one who brings the small boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus. Andrew's the one who seems to find people. Andrew is an essential link in people coming to know the Lord. He is a bridge of God’s grace.  I’m sure that later in life that Andrew felt deep satisfaction as he saw Peter grow and serve.  You never know when you bring someone to Jesus what Jesus will make of that person. 

       We find next yet another model of coming to Jesus. Andrew and John come through John the Baptist. Andrew brings Peter. Jesus Himself goes and finds Phillip.

       The pattern is different. But the bridges of grace continue. After spending some time with Jesus, John doesn't say how much, Phillip goes and finds Nathaniel (who is probably the Bartholomew of the other gospels). Phillip says: "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph."

       Nathaniel replies in a very deflating way to Phillip's grand words: "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" That sound's like the kind of thing some person from this area might say about Saticoy -- or imagine how you would feel if you were told that the savior of the world was living in Barstow.

       Nathaniel is a prejudiced man and he’s right up front about his prejudice. That’s a good thing. He puts it right out front where it can be dealt with and where he can find the answer to his question.

       And Phillip's response is a model for our witness. He doesn't try to convince Nathaniel of the merits of Nazareth. ("Oh, it's not such a bad town.   There’s actually a pretty good fish restaurant there.") Instead he says: "Come and see." "Come and meet Jesus yourself."

       Phillip doesn't try to be the answer man. But he offers an invitation to meet the one man who has the answers.

       Nathaniel accepts the invitation. He isn't one of those people who raise objections to the gospel for the sake of debate or as an excuse not to respond. He is willing to find answers to his questions and then to act on the answers he finds.

       Jesus sees Nathaniel coming and comments loudly enough for Nathaniel to hear: "Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit." Jesus is saying: "How refreshing it is to meet a man who calls 'em like he sees 'em -- even if it means insulting my home town."

       Nathaniel recognizes the truth of Jesus' words. He is also free from false humility. He asks Jesus, "How do you know me?" Jesus replies "before Phillip called you, I saw you when you were sitting under the fig tree."

       Somehow, in some way, Nathaniel’s whole world is suddenly changed. He looks at Jesus in wonder and says: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel." Jesus responds with what sounds like surprise. "Because I said to you,' I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see far greater things than just the fact that I know you. Truly, truly I say to you, you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. ' "

       It is hard for us to understand Nathaniel's total turnaround from prejudice to faith without understanding the significance of Jesus' words about seeing Nathaniel under the fig tree. To the Jews, the fig tree stood for peace -- when a man could be undisturbed under his own vine and his own fig tree. The fig tree was cool and shady. It was a favorite place to sit and think.

       Perhaps that is what Nathaniel had been doing. Perhaps he had been praying for the day when God's chosen One would come. Perhaps he had been meditating on the promises of God and now felt that Jesus had seen into the depths of his heart.

       Perhaps Nathaniel said to himself: "Here is a man who sees me as I am. He knows my prayers. He understands my dreams. This must be God's promised one!"

       Perhaps. But of course we don’t know. You don't know and I don't know and the wisest doctor of theology doesn't know because John doesn't tell us. Maybe John didn't know what was going on between Jesus and Nathaniel either. Nobody knew but Jesus and Nathaniel. But it seems clear that Jesus, perhaps with a special look, told Nathaniel that He knew something that Nathaniel thought was known only to Himself and God. Between Jesus and Nathaniel, "under the fig tree" served as a kind of pass word. They were known to each other and Nathaniel said to Jesus, "you are the Son of God and the King of Israel."

       There we have the call of the first five disciples of Jesus.

       There are two major themes that stick out and then some questions to ask.

       The first theme is the nature or character of the one who calls. Jesus, when we meet Him, is not who we expect Him to be. He is not the triumphant Messiah floating three feet off the ground to the accompaniment of celestial harps. Rather, He is conversational. He is a friendly listener drawing out real people in real encounter, spending the day with them, giving them nicknames, showing them that He knows who they are in their innermost beings. It may be surprising if we’re used to thinking of Jesus at a distance but this is the Jesus we meet.

       The second major theme is the nature of the call. The journey of faith is begun in a very ordinary way -- very uncomplicated and simple. There are people today who have difficulty beginning the Christian life because somewhere in their minds they have the idea that beginning the Christian life has to be a very elaborate and spectacular thing, with great flashes of insight and unmistakable proof.

       Instead, we get one step followed by another step. "What do you want?" "Where do you live?" "Come and see." Only in the case of Nathaniel do we get something of a "zap" -- and this zap does not come from Jesus showing Nathaniel something flashy but from Jesus showing Nathaniel that he knows who Nathaniel is -- that He knows Nathaniel's deepest needs just as He knows and cares for our deepest needs.

       The gospel becomes real for us when its story becomes our story. This isn't a history lesson. That would be pointless.  The reason we look at the Gospels is that the Jesus of the gospels and the Jesus who shepherds us today is the same Jesus.  We’re getting to know Him better.

       One question to ask as we read and as we hear is: "What does this encounter tell me about the Jesus I trust today? What does John’s account of the call of the disciples tell me about my Lord? What does it mean for Jesus to be my friend as well as my Savior? What is His purpose for me? What is my nickname?

       Like Nathaniel, what questions do I need to have answered or what attitudes do I need to change in order to be His disciple?

       Am I really like Nathaniel -- willing to ask honest questions and willing to respond honestly to the answers I find?  

       How can I reach out like Andrew or Phillip?

       One lighted torch serves to light another.   Every study of evangelistic outreach reveals that 85 percent pr more of all converts, new disciples, are brought to Christ by someone they trust – a member of the family, a neighbor, a close friend or business associate.  And further they show that the most spontaneous, authentic witnessing takes place in the first two years of Christian experience.          

      But no matter how long you have been here, God has placed you in a key place. You are called to be a bridge of God’s grace to other people. You don’t have to have all the answers. But God has placed you in a place in people’s lives to say "Come meet the One who has the answers.  Come discover what I’ve discovered --- Come and see!"

*I am indebted to a sermon by Dr. Earl Palmer of the First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley for some of the insights in this sermon.